Microfauna characterization of an anaerobic-aerobic combined system treating wastewater of hospital area and its relation to physical, chemical parameters and ecotoxicological essays

• Grant number: 12/11252-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Edson Aparecido Abdul Nour
• Grantee: Guilherme Augusto da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently the combined anaerobic-aerobic systems are used in various studies, biosolids stabilization, treatment of effluents with high organic load, high concentration of aromatic compounds, nutrient removal with the addition of organic carbon, sewage containing formaldehyde, among others. Of the reported studies, each one just by using different aerobic and anaerobic reactors to form the combined system.Anaerobic processes are advantageous because of the low sludge production, low power consumption, low demand area and low implementation costs, while aerobic processes are advantageous as to complement the reduction of organic load and the conversion of nitrogen compounds to form more oxidized. With the combination of both processes is possible to achieve a satisfactory reduction of organic load and total nitrogen effluent with less sludge generation, combined with a more robust operating system.Sewage treatment with sanitary characteristics, from a hospital area is realized by a combined system comprising a anaerobic filter followed by an biofilter submerged aerobic and secondary sedimentation tank, the design used for obtaining a better quality effluent. In this project the combined system is principally concerned with nitrification and denitrification of nitrogen compounds contained in the sewage of the hospital.The main objective of this study is to characterize the microfauna contained in the attached biomass in submerged aerated biofilter (SAB) and its correlation with physico-chemical parameters for each step of the system and toxicity in organisms of different trophic levels, suggesting an economic tool for monitoring the biofilters. The specific objectives are: (1) characterization of microfauna found in the SAB in different sampling points, (2) Determination of the toxicity of sewage organisms Vibrio fischeri (EC50), Daphnia similis (EC50) and Girardia tigrina (LC50) and of the combined efficiency in the reduction of toxicity, (3) Determination of the ratio of micro and major factors determining the operation of the system upon the occurrence of the processes of nitrification and denitrification.The project is justified because of the few existing studies on the characterization and evaluation of micro-reactors where the biomass grows attached to a support medium and most existing studies evaluating treatment systems where biomass is dispersed. This project is linked to the Project Research FAPESP, process number 2011/20826-5.According to the proposed objectives, expected results are: (a) define an economical tool for monitoring bio from the correlation between micro-and physical-chemical and ecotoxicological tests, (b) verify the distinction between organisms in different collection points at SAB, (c) reduction of effluent toxicity levels by the combined system in accordance with current legislation.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVA, Guilherme Augusto da. Microfauna characterization and toxicity reduction in combined treatment system of sanitary effluent. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo Campinas, SP.